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February Birthstone – Amethyst

The Ancient Greeks thought that whomever wore an Amethyst gemstone would be protected from the effects of the alcohol in wine. The name is derived from the Greek word “amethustos” meaning, “not intoxicated”. Amethyst, the birthstone for February, is a form of quartz and can be found in transparent light to dark purple.
Amethysts have long been cherished by royalty and by religious figures, dating from to the Minoan period (c. 2500 B.C.), because of its rich, majestic color. Amethyst was favored by the Art Nouveau artisans of the 1920’s and remains a favorite of some modern jewelry designers.

The most noted reason for their popularity in jewelry design is that amethysts have been widely available as well as reasonably priced. The two main sources for amethyst are in Brazil and Zambia, although additional deposits have been discovered in Russia, Sri-Lanka, Mexico, and Arizona.

Enhancements – The recent scarcity of quality amethyst in recent years has motivated the production of a manmade synthetic getting into the marketplace. Darker hues of amethyst are seldom enhanced to perfect their color, while some varieties do respond favorably to heat treatment. Brownish varieties, once heated, magically transform into the brilliant yellow or orange colors known as citrine. This enhancement method is permanent and will last the lifetime of the gemstone.